Name the Bisti Beast

February 13th, 2020

For Immediate Release: February 13, 2020 (Albuquerque, New Mexico) --

The Bisti Beast at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science has been entertaining visitors since it arrived. The one thing the tyrannosaur is missing is a name. The Museum has collected suggestions for names from visitors for months. They have narrowed down the choices to the top five most popular suggestions, and want the public’s help choosing the final name. The most popular suggested names include Juniper, Bailey, Bella, Betty, and Bonita. “We want our visitors to help us name our local dinosaur,” says Rachel Veracka. The Bisti Beast is a robotic version of the real specimen that was found in the Bisti Badlands of New Mexico. The real skull is on display in the Museum’s “Back to Bones” exhibit.

The Bisti Beast roars every half hour for visitors in the Museum’s lobby. Visitors to the Museum can go to nmnaturalhistory.org to take the poll and help decide which name best suits the animated dinosaur. The Museum will announce a final name for the Bisti Beast on March 14^th when they open their next exhibit “Tiny Titans: Dinosaur Eggs and Babies” (produced by Silver Plume Exhibitions.)

Image: Courtesy of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science

Media Contact: Andrea Jacquin, andrea.jacquin@state.nm.us 505-206-9144

About the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science: http://www.nmnaturalhistory.org.

The New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science is a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, under the leadership of the Board of Trustees of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science. Programs and exhibits are generously supported by the New Mexico Museum of Natural History Foundation, through the generous support of donors.

Established in 1986, the mission of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science is to preserve and interpret the distinctive natural and scientific heritage of our state through extraordinary collections, research, exhibits, and programs designed to ignite a passion for lifelong learning. The NMMNHS offers exhibitions, programs and workshops in Geoscience, including Paleontology and Mineralogy, Bioscience and Space Science. It is the Southwest’s largest repository for fossils and includes a Planetarium and a large format 3D DynaTheater.

1801 Mountain Road NW, northeast of Historic Old Town Plaza, Albuquerque, NM 87104, (505) 841-2800.  Open seven days a week 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Events, news releases and images about activities at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science and other divisions of the Department of Cultural Affairs can be accessed at media.newmexicoculture.org.